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All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1986

Technology achievements and projections for communication satellites of the future

Multibeam systems of the future using monolithic microwave integrated circuits to provide phase control and power gain are contrasted with discrete microwave power amplifiers from 10 to 75 W and their associated waveguide feeds, phase shifters and power splitters. Challenging new enabling technology areas include advanced electrooptical control and signal feeds. Large scale MMIC's will be used incorporating on chip control interfaces, latching, and phase and amplitude control with power levels of a few watts each. Beam forming algorithms for 80 to 90 deg wide angle scanning and precise beam forming under wide ranging environments will be required. Satellite systems using these dynamically reconfigured multibeam antenna systems will demand greater degrees of beam interconnectivity. Multiband and multiservice users will be interconnected through the same space platform. Monolithic switching arrays operating over a wide range of RF and IF frequencies are contrasted with current IF switch technology implemented discretely. Size, weight, and performance improvements by an order of magnitude are projected.

Bagwell, J. W.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Steerable Space Fed Lens Array for Low-Cost Adaptive Ground Station Applications

The Space Fed Lens Array (SFLA) is an alternative to a phased array antenna that replaces large numbers of expensive solid-state phase shifters with a single spatial feed network. SFLA can be used for multi-beam application where multiple independent beams can be generated simultaneously with a single antenna aperture. Unlike phased array antennas where feed loss increases with array size, feed loss in a lens array with more than 50 elements is nearly independent of the number of elements, a desirable feature for large apertures. In addition, SFLA has lower cost as compared to a phased array at the expense of total volume and complete beam continuity. For ground station applications, both of these tradeoff parameters are not important and can thus be exploited in order to lower the cost of the ground station. In this paper, we report the development and demonstration of a 952-element beam-steerable SFLA intended for use as a low cost ground station for communicating and tracking of a low Earth orbiting satellite. The dynamic beam steering is achieved through switching to different feed-positions of the SFLA via a beam controller.

Lee, Richard Q.↗

DOE OSTI2022

A sub-picosecond digitally-controlled phase delay

The use of precision timing measurements will be a major tool at the HL-LHC, where it will be used to suppress pile-up and to search for long-lived particles. To control a reference clock with sub-picosecond accuracy, we have fabricated in the TSMC 65 nm process a digitally controlled phase shifter. It is composed of a chain of 66 cells, each with a digitally controlled planar wave guide with either a short or long delay. With this a reference clock’s phase can be controlled to a precision of 200 fs with dynamic range of 12 ps.

Instruments & Instrumentation↗

NASA NTRS1978

Dual hologram design study

A phase modulated triple exposure technique was incorporated into a holographic nondestructive test (HNDT) system. The technique was able to achieve a goal of simultaneously identifying the zero-order fringe and determining the direction of motion (or displacement). Basically, the technique involves the addition of one more exposure, during the loading of the tested object, to the conventional double-exposure hologram. A phase shifter is added to either the object beam or the reference beam during the second and third exposure. Theoretical analysis with the assistance of computer simulation illustrated the feasibility of implementing the phase modulation and triple-exposure in the HNDT systems. Main advantages of the technique are the enhancement of accuracy in data interpretation and a better determination of the nature of the flaws in the tested object.

Liu, H. K.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Ka-band active MMIC subarray development

A 4 x 8 array consisting of two adjacent 4 x 4 MMIC subarray modules under development as part of a MMIC insertion program for the ACTS communication experiments is presented. The subarray features a high-density 'tile' configuration integrating 16 MMIC power amplifiers and 16 MMIC phase shifters. The radiating elements are cavity-backed, aperture coupled, linearly polarized microstrip patches arranged on a 4 x 4 square grid. Each module also incorporates a MMIC controller to set the phase shifts and to turn individual amplifiers 'on' or 'off'. The novel module construction technique is expected to establish a benchmark in Ka-band and higher-frequency array architectures. The hybrid integration approach used for the module can be replaced by multifunctional chips and multilayer distribution boards. The higher level of integration is to permit the dense grid spacing required for wide-angle scanning and reduced size, weight, and cost for the array.

Lee, Richard↗

NASA NTRS1987

A design concept for an MMIC (Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit) microstrip phased array

Lee, Richard Q.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Spin wave interference detection via inverse spin Hall effect

Here, in this Letter, we present experimental data that demonstrate a spin wave interference detection using an inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE). Two coherent spin waves are excited in a yttrium-iron garnet waveguide by continuous microwave signals. The initial phase difference between the spin waves is controlled by the external phase shifter. The ISHE voltage is detected at a distance of 2 and 4 mm away from the spin wave generating antennas by an attached Pt layer. Experimental data show ISHE voltage oscillation as a function of the phase difference between the two interfering spin waves. This experiment demonstrates an intriguing possibility of using ISHE in a spin wave logic circuit converting a spin wave phase into an electric signal.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

NASA NTRS1998

Broadband Interferometer for Measuring Transmitted Wavefronts of Optical Bandpass Filters for HST (ACS)

The transmitted wavefronts of optical filters for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) are characterized using the Wildly and Openly Modified Broadband Achromatic Twyman Green (WOMBAT) Interferometer developed in the NASA/GSFC Optics Branch's Diffraction Grating Evaluation Facility (DGEF). Because only four of thirty-three of ACS's optical bandpass filters transmit the 633 nm light of most commercial interferometers, a broadband interferometer is required to verify specified transmitted wavefront of ACS filters. WOMBAT's design is a hybrid of the BAT interferometer developed by JPL used for HST Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC-2) filters and a WYKO 400 phase shifting interferometer. It includes a broadband light source, monochromator, off-axis, parabolic collimating and camera mirrors, an aluminum-coated fused silica beam splitter, flat retroreflecting mirrors for the test and reference arms, and a LTV-sensitive CCD camera. An outboarded, piezo-electric phase shifter holds the flat mirror in the interferometer's reference arm. The interferometer is calibrated through interaction between the WYKO system's software and WONMAT hardware for the test wavelength of light entering the beam splitter. Phase-shifted interferograms of the filter mounted in the test arm are analyzed using WYKO's Vision' software. Filters as large as 90 mm in diameter have been measured over a wavelength range from 200 to 1100 nm with a sensitivity of lambda/200 rms at lambda = 633 nm. Results of transmitted wavefront measurements are shown for ACS fixed band pass and spatially-variable bandpass filters for a variety of wavelengths.

Boucarut, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1986

A design concept for an MMIC microstrip phased array

A conceptual design for a microstrip phased array with monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) amplitude and phase controls is described. The MMIC devices used are 20 GHz variable power amplifiers and variable phase shifters recently developed by NASA contractors for applications in future Ka band advanced satellite communication antenna systems. The proposed design concept is for a general NxN element array of rectangular lattice geometry. Subarray excitation is incorporated in the MMIC phased array design to reduce the complexity of the beam forming network and the number of MMIC components required. The proposed design concept takes into consideration the RF characteristics and actual phyical dimensions of the MMIC devices. Also, solutions to spatial constraints and interconnections associated with currently available packaging designs are discussed. Finally, the design of the microstrip radiating elements and their radiation characteristics are examined.

Lee, R. Q.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Noncontact Monitoring of Overhead Transmission Lines Using Space Potential Phasor Measurements

Power system reliability requirements necessitate the development of measurement systems to monitor the operational state of critical transmission lines. Here in this article, a novel noncontact method for monitoring overhead transmission lines is proposed. The method is based on measuring the amplitude and relative phase of the transmission line's space potential at two or more strategically located points in space along with the use of passive phase shifters to enhance the sensitivity of the measurements. Applications of voltage unbalance and conductor sag measurements are demonstrated along with the results of conductor sag measurements on an operating 230-kV transmission line. It is shown that using enhanced relative phase measurements can significantly improve the sensitivity of the measurements.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

NASA NTRS1979

Airborne Electronically Steerable Phased Array (AESPA) program

The basic concept and design of a flatplate-fed transmission array are described and system performance requirements are summarized. Particular emphasis is given to the design of the aperture, the radiating element, the phase shifter, the flatplate feed, and the mechanical support structure. Fabrication and testing techniques are considered. Of the three major parameters of interest in demonstrating the performance capabilities of the transmissive array, beamwidth was shown to be the least sensitive to system amplitude and phase errors. Beam pointing angle was also shown to be relatively insensitive to errors. Close agreement between measured and calculated values was found for array gain. The greatest difference was found for array sidelone level.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1993

Array Simulations Platform (ASP) predicts NASA Data Link Module (NDLM) performance

Through a variety of imbedded theoretical and actual antenna patterns, the array simulation platform (ASP) enhanced analysis of the array antenna pattern effects for the KTx (Ku-Band Transmit) service of the NDLM (NASA Data Link Module). The ASP utilizes internally stored models of the NDLM antennas and can develop the overall pattern of antenna arrays through common array calculation techniques. ASP expertly assisted in the diagnosing of element phase shifter errors during KTx testing and was able to accurately predict the overall array pattern from combinations of the four internally held element patterns. This paper provides an overview of the use of the ASP software in the solving of array mis-phasing problems.

Snook, Allen David↗

DOE OSTI2021

High-speed programmable photonic circuits in a cryogenically compatible, visible–near-infrared 200 mm CMOS architecture

Abstract Recent advances in photonic integrated circuits have enabled a new generation of programmable Mach–Zehnder meshes (MZMs) realized by using cascaded Mach–Zehnder interferometers capable of universal linear-optical transformations on N input/output optical modes. MZMs serve critical functions in photonic quantum information processing, quantum-enhanced sensor networks, machine learning and other applications. However, MZM implementations reported to date rely on thermo-optic phase shifters, which limit applications due to slow response times and high power consumption. Here we introduce a large-scale MZM platform made in a 200 mm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor foundry, which uses aluminium nitride piezo-optomechanical actuators coupled to silicon nitride waveguides, enabling low-loss propagation with phase modulation at greater than 100 MHz in the visible–near-infrared wavelengths. Moreover, the vanishingly low hold-power consumption of the piezo-actuators enables these photonic integrated circuits to operate at cryogenic temperatures, paving the way for a fully integrated device architecture for a range of quantum applications.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

NASA NTRS2010

Phased Array Radiometer Calibration Using a Radiated Noise Source

Electronic beam steering capability of phased array antenna systems offer significant advantages when used in real aperture imaging radiometers. The sensitivity of such systems is limited by the ability to accurately calibrate variations in the antenna circuit characteristics. Passive antenna systems, which require mechanical rotation to scan the beam, have stable characteristics and the noise figure of the antenna can be characterized with knowledge of its physical temperature [1],[2]. Phased array antenna systems provide the ability to electronically steer the beam in any desired direction. Such antennas make use of active components (amplifiers, phase shifters) to provide electronic scanning capability while maintaining a low antenna noise figure. The gain fluctuations in the active components can be significant, resulting in substantial calibration difficulties [3]. In this paper, we introduce two novel calibration techniques that provide an end-to-end calibration of a real-aperture, phased array radiometer system. Empirical data will be shown to illustrate the performance of both methods.

Srinivasan, Karthik↗

DOE OSTI2020

A spin-wave magnetometer with a positive feedback

In this work, we demonstrate experimentally the operation of a spin-wave magnetometer integrated into a circuit with a positive feedback. The circuit consists of the passive magnetic and active electric parts. The magnetic part includes a sensing element, which is a magnetic cross junction made of Y 3 Fe 2 (FeO 4 ) 3 . The electric part includes a non-linear amplifier and a phase shifter. The electric and magnetic parts are connected via micrometer size antennae. Spin waves are excited by two of these antennae while the output inductive voltage produced by the interfering spin waves is detected by the third antenna. Spin waves propagating in the orthogonal arms of the cross can accumulate significantly different phase shifts, depending on the direction and the strength of the external magnetic field. The output inductive voltage reaches its maximum in the case of constructive spin wave interference. The positive feedback provides further signal amplification. It appears possible to enhance the response function, compared to the passive circuits without a feedback, by a factor of ×100 without an increase in the noise level. The experimental data show a prominent response to the external magnetic field variation, exceeding 5 x 10 3 V/T. The intrinsic noise spectral density of the device can be as low as 10 -16 V 2 /Hz. The estimated sensitivity of the prototype device is 2 x 10 -12 T/√Hz at room temperature. We argue that spin-wave magnetometers can potentially be as sensitive as SQUIDs while operating at room temperature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS2008

L-Band Transmit/Receive Module for Phase-Stable Array Antennas

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has been shown to provide very sensitive measurements of surface deformation and displacement on the order of 1 cm. Future systematic measurements of surface deformation will require this capability over very large areas (300 km) from space. To achieve these required accuracies, these spaceborne sensors must exhibit low temporal decorrelation and be temporally stable systems. An L-band (24-cmwavelength) InSAR instrument using an electronically steerable radar antenna is suited to meet these needs. In order to achieve the 1-cm displacement accuracy, the phased array antenna requires phase-stable transmit/receive (T/R) modules. The T/R module operates at L-band (1.24 GHz) and has less than 1- deg absolute phase stability and less than 0.1-dB absolute amplitude stability over temperature. The T/R module is also high power (30 W) and power efficient (60-percent overall efficiency). The design is currently implemented using discrete components and surface mount technology. The basic T/R module architecture is augmented with a calibration loop to compensate for temperature variations, component variations, and path loss variations as a function of beam settings. The calibration circuit consists of an amplitude and phase detector, and other control circuitry, to compare the measured gain and phase to a reference signal and uses this signal to control a precision analog phase shifter and analog attenuator. An architecture was developed to allow for the module to be bidirectional, to operate in both transmit and receive mode. The architecture also includes a power detector used to maintain a transmitter power output constant within 0.1 dB. The use of a simple, stable, low-cost, and high-accuracy gain and phase detector made by Analog Devices (AD8302), combined with a very-high efficiency T/R module, is novel. While a self-calibrating T/R module capability has been sought for years, a practical and cost-effective solution has never been demonstrated. By adding the calibration loop to an existing high-efficiency T/R module, there is a demonstrated order-of-magnitude improvement in the amplitude and phase stability.

Andricos, Constantine↗

NASA NTRS2013

Reconfigurable Transmission Line for a Series-Fed Ku-Band Phased Array Using a Single Feed

The paper presents a novel approach to realize a lowcost phased array using a simple feeding mechanism. Specifically, a single coplanar stripline (CPS) transmission line is used to feed the antenna array elements. By controlling the CPS's dielectric properties using a movable dielectric plunger, scanning is achieved. Due to its simplicity, single feed, and no phase shifters, this approach leads to a dramatic reduction in cost which does not scale for larger arrays.

Reconfigurable Transmission Lines↗

NASA NTRS2004

Tunable Optical True-Time Delay Devices Would Exploit EIT

Tunable optical true-time delay devices that would exploit electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) have been proposed. Relative to prior true-time delay devices (for example, devices based on ferroelectric and ferromagnetic materials) and electronically controlled phase shifters, the proposed devices would offer much greater bandwidths. In a typical envisioned application, an optical pulse would be modulated with an ultra-wideband radio-frequency (RF) signal that would convey the information that one seeks to communicate, and it would be required to couple differently delayed replicas of the RF signal to the radiating elements of a phased-array antenna. One or more of the proposed devices would be used to impose the delays and/or generate the delayed replicas of the RF-modulated optical pulse. The beam radiated or received by the antenna would be steered by use of a microprocessor-based control system that would adjust operational parameters of the devices to tune the delays to the required values. EIT is a nonlinear quantum optical interference effect that enables the propagation of light through an initially opaque medium. A suitable medium must have, among other properties, three quantum states (see Figure 1): an excited state (state 3), an upper ground state (state 2), and a lower ground state (state 1). These three states must form a closed system that exhibits no decays to other states in the presence of either or both of two laser beams: (1) a probe beam having the wavelength corresponding to the photon energy equal to the energy difference between states 3 and 1; and (2) a coupling beam having the wavelength corresponding to the photon energy equal to the energy difference between states 3 and 2. The probe beam is the one that is pulsed and modulated with an RF signal.

Kulikov, Igor↗